Two losses on consecutive nights on the road meant the Clippers had a little healing to do when they got home to prepare for Saturday night’s game against Utah.

Unless you’re Clippers coach Doc Rivers.

“They were very good games, I guess emotional games, but that’s the regular season,” Rivers said. “Some guys may be tired. Could be tonight, could be the next game and in those games you hope somebody else picks it up for them. That’s why it’s a team game. It’s just really hard to gauge.”

The Clippers, who hadn’t lost three games in a row this season, were looking to get healthy against Utah (9-23), which was coming off a win over the Lakers on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

That would seem to be an easy task, but the Clippers had to admit they had to shake off the road trip and their two-point losses to Golden State and Portland.

“It was tough at first before we started shootaround (Saturday morning),’ backup guard Darren Collison said. “Doc brought up a few good points. He liked the way we’ve been playing, our effort, the fact we didn’t make any excuse coming off the back-to-back.

“We do see improvement, we do see the positive things out of the last two games. We’re playing hard. We know we didn’t get the results.”

No comparison, but ...

The Jazz opened the season with a 1-14 record and were limited at the outset of the season when rookie point guard Trey Burke was injured.

The Clippers are well aware of Burke’s talents. He’s averaged 13.5 points and 5.3 assists in the 20 games he has played.

“Clearly him coming back has changed them, there’s no doubt about that,” Rivers said. “Early on I look at him and I don’t want to put a comparison on him because that’s the worst thing to do, but there’s guards who can score, there’s guards who are just playmakers and then there is that rare group that can do both. Chris (Paul) is one of those guys, he can score 30 and get 18 assists.

“I think Trey Burke’s going to be that, which is going to be really good for Utah. Looks like he could do that.”

Collison was ready for Burke, who guided Michigan to the NCAA title game a year ago.

“Just like you would any other guard,” Collison said of his preparation. “This league is very good at the position, he is playing well, you just prepare like he’s any other guard.”

Injury updates

Don’t count on Rivers for injury updates because he pays no attention until the medical staff gives the word that a certain player is ready.

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When asked about the progress of rookie forward Reggie Bullock, who is out with a sprained ankle, Rivers responded: “Who?”

And Rivers wasn’t sure if J.J. Redick (wrist) had begun shooting yet.

Bullock is still recovering from his high ankle sprain and Redick remains weeks away, though he has the post-surgical splint off his right hand.

“I joke with (Bullock) and say it’s the longest sprained ankle injury in the history of the NBA,” Rivers said, smiling. “You don’t want that title. But he’s trying. It was a bad ankle sprain, really bad. Today I know he shot. Other than that, I don’t really know.”

Backup center Ryan Hollins missed Saturday’s game for personal reasons, the club said.